by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
JOS: The Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has inaugurated the Plateau State Economic Advisory Council.
During the inauguration, he said, “We have been on this matter for some time now; and we took our time to carefully select people we believe can add value to where we are going. They come with diverse experiences.
“Mr. Ibrahim Puri, who many may not know, is from Bassa local government area of Plateau State. He retired as an Executive Director at UBA and is the Chairman of the Advisory Council. The main job of this Council is to advise us on how to turn our opportunities into prosperity.
“I firmly believe that, Plateau State should not be ranked among the poorest states in Nigeria. Unfortunately, we are somewhere down that pecking order in the poverty index, and it’s simply because we haven’t harvested our opportunities,” he said.
Mutfwang stressed that, “We must turn the advantages God has given us into wealth for our people. Some of the dimensions of our crisis – even the insurgency – I’m sure will be addressed when we prosper economically. At the root of this is poverty.”
He noted that, “When I invited some community leaders and saw their faces, what I saw written on all of them was poverty. That’s what we’re fighting.”
While shedding some light on the grazing reserve, he said, “There’s a grazing reserve that has been under bandit occupation for 15 to 20 years – a vast land carved out during the Northern Region. By the grace of God, we’ve substantially degraded the bandits and are now reclaiming the land to set up ranches.”
Governor Mutfwang expressed disappointment by some people, who went on air attacking government, saying, “We want to bring Ruga.” Just ask questions and you’ll get answers. Under the National Livestock Transformation Plan, there’s no Ruga, not a single mention.
“There is nowhere in Nigeria where you can raise livestock better than on the Plateau. Check it. Now, the cattle that have been causing insecurity – they give only two litres of milk. When we set up our ranches, you’ll see cows producing 20 litres or more.
“Should we continue with two litres? I don’t think we’re being fair to ourselves. Let’s shift the paradigm. Let’s leave our comfort zones and begin to do things differently,” he noted.
With high optimism, the governor noted that, “Imagine you have just two cows giving you 20 litres a day. What’s a litre of milk worth – a thousand naira? That’s 40,000 naira a day. If you’re still poor, then something is wrong!
“These are the opportunities before us. We must harness them. This council will review our economic policies, regulations, and legislation to reposition Plateau for private sector investment. Our approach to business is PPP, let the private sector drive it. They do it better than we civil servants,” he said.
Mutfwang hoped that, this council will study their environment, identify areas of priority, and make recommendations on where the government should focus, in order to attract investment, and also, advice on how to position Plateau people to benefit from increased economic activities.
By doing so, he believes, “Plateau is becoming attractive again. For almost a year now, I’ve been hearing that our hotel room occupancy rate is among the highest in the country – people are flocking in.
The governor revealed that, “Soon, we will raise the bar in hospitality to compete nationally and beyond. Plateau should become the economic hub of Northern Nigeria. If we put our heads together, guided by the wisdom of these Council members, I’m confident we will get there.
“The economic prosperity of Plateau people now rests on your shoulders. And I am confident you will help drive us to the Promised Land,” Mutfwang stated.
Responding, the Advisory Council chairman, Ibrahim Puri, thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve, assuring that they are going to harness it for the betterment of the state, and assured to be open, as they are going for short-term, long-term and also to give advises.